According to the liturgical church year, the Christmas season lasts until January 6th (Epiphany or Three Kings Day), so here's a belated Christmas story I haven't had the time to post. It's about Erna, a woman from my church, who was honored for an unusual service to the country. Follow me to meet Erna below the fold...
Erna Zwicke is a 86-year-old member of the church I attend, St. John's Lutheran Church in San Antonio. She rides an electric wheelchair, usually at full speed. If you ever visit Downtown SA and see a woman with a wool cap (even at triple-digit temperatures) zipping around, causing tourists to press themselves against walls to avoid being run over, that's Erna.
It is obvious to anyone who meets her that she is an interesting lady; unfortunately, though, she is so hard of hearing that it is impossible to have a normal conversation with her. The only way to communicate with her is to write her a note or shout directly into her ear.
What Erna is best known for, however, is her skill as an artist. Every silent auction at our church contains paintings and sketches of hers. When the wife of a former pastor died, her daughters inherited a life-like drawing of their mother, which Erna had given her a few months before. Last Halloween she decorated the tables of the daycare with grapefruits disguised as tiny pumpkins.
During Advent season we became aware of something else Erna does: she decorates the envelopes in which the US Postal Service sends responses to letters that children write to Santa Claus. This year Erna recruited the congregation to help her: everyone was asked to color the drawings she had done on the envelopes. This way, as she said, there would be more variety. It was a huge success. Dozens of adults of all ages finally had an excuse to pick up colored pencils and felt markers and do what they hadn't done since kindergarten. There were bank presidents, university professors, electricians, housewives -- you name it, all sitting there with their tongues between their teeth and coloring away. There were interesting conversations, too. One lady was rummaging through Erna's supply of colored pencils, looking for, as she put it, "skin color," rejecting one as "too brown." She looked rather sheepish when another of Erna's helpers reminded her that skin comes in various shades of colors. Erna presided over the activity mostly in silence, with a piece of poignant advice here and there. On the back of the envelopeshe had us write: "Elf: [your name here]."
As the season progressed, so did Erna's work, until all the envelopes were finished. Then came Christmas Eve. The church was packed, and to our surprise, there was a camera crew from one of the local TV stations. As we found out, they had come because of Erna. She was to be honored for her services to the US Postal Service and the country.
During the service, our pastor read the inscription on her certificate and presented it to Erna. As Erna drove her wheelchair towards the altar -- full speed ahead -- she received a standing ovation while the camera people struggled to find an angle to capture her (if I find a video clip, I'll post it). There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
So that's the story of one of Santa's little helpers, who lives very far away from the North Pole and whose mode of transportation is not powered by reindeer. However, as is customary for elves, she does wear a pointy hat.